


Refuge

by another_maggies



Series: Choni collection [4]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Fangs appreciation, That's all me, cuz, not the Fangs part tho, the one where Cheryl and Toni spend the night after mission unbreakable at Fang's nobody asked for, well somebody did
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 23:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14199960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/another_maggies/pseuds/another_maggies
Summary: Toni needs to take Cheryl somewhere safe after what happens. Her choice might be surprising to some, it's the obvious one to her.





	Refuge

**Author's Note:**

> Sis requested: Can you write about where Cheryl and Toni went for the nightb 
> 
> There you go!

Kevin doesn't ask immediately, of course. In the heat of the moment what he does is starting the car, driving through the path in the woods, getting away. Once they're on the main road, though, he realizes that they'll reach the junction separating North from South soon. And he realizes that he doesn't know which way he's supposed to go.

“Er... Guys?” He glances into the rear view mirror briefly. Toni lifts her head from where it was resting against the crown of Cheryl's head. The redhead's face is hidden in the serpent's neck. She doesn't show any intention of moving any time soon.

Veronica, sitting next to him, blinks. Apparently, there is no plan.

“You can stay with me...?,” she offers, uncertainty clear as day in her intonation.

Cheryl's head shoots up. The rear view mirror still only shows the back of her head. Kevin's pretty sure that the HBIC turned PUSH hasn't said anything, yet Toni gives a fervent nod and tells her: “of course” before the head's back where it was, buried against her neck.

“We'll go to the trailer park,” the pink haired power personification announces.

And that's that.

* * *

 

It is kind of an unspoken truth that Toni has no real home to speak of.

There's her uncle, without a doubt, whom she crashes with whenever social services come by to check on her (not too often, luckily). There's the White Wyrm, where they have a mattress and an old afghan in the broom closet reserved exclusively for her. There are her friends. Sweet Pea, who shares an awfully small trailer with his father and little brother, and sometimes shares his bed with Toni. Jughead, whose couch isn't too bad, but has been permanently occupied since Betty Cooper moved to the Southside.

None of it seems an appropriate choice for Toni to crash at on Wednesday morning, way past midnight, with Cheryl.

So she heads straight for the one place she knows will work. Will have to work. Because Toni will be damned if Cheryl has to spend another night at a place she feels unwelcome and endangered at.

She knocks on the door. One, two, three times. Four, five times.

Next to her, Cheryl's clinging to her with both hands now, and shivering. Toni contemplates taking off her jacket to wrap the girl in. However, that would mean letting go of Cheryl's hands and she's not sure how the usually so fiery redhead would take it.

Six, seven times.

A groan emits from the inside.

Eight, nine, ten times.

The door flies open.

“What the fucking hell...” Fangs stops as he catches sight of his nightly visitor. “Toni?” He does a double take, blinking, rubbing his eyes and all. “ _Blossom_?”

Toni sighs. Hopefully this was the right idea. “Fangs,” she greets in return. “We need a place for the night... please?”

She can practically see him contemplate it. In the end his need to be in the picture about whatever he's witnessing this night seems to win over. He steps aside and lets them in.

Again, Toni sighs. This time, relieved.

* * *

 

Fangs is an angel in disguise. Toni knows this, of course. She's spent many nights at his trailer (and yes, the Fogartys have the luxury of multiple single person trailers; it's one of (if not simply) their biggest pride(s)). More often than not those had been nights she showed up with fresh cuts and bruises, too scared to spend the night somewhere else. She trusts Sweetpea, too, of course. He just doesn't have the space Fangs has to offer. (And she hates letting the kid see his inevitable future on her bashed in face).

There's tea and biscuits at Fangs'. There's blankets and warm sweatshirts. Toni's always glad to take all of his offerings. She's happy to watch Cheryl taking them, too.

They have Earl Grey. Toni takes two sugars, Cheryl takes one and some milk, Fangs takes his with milk only. They sit mostly in silence, Cheryl and Toni sharing the sofa while Fangs sits in a camping chair. Toni keeps her arm around Cheryl at all times. They don't talk a lot. Every piece of information Fangs is given, though, carries the unspoken promise of utter secrecy.

After a few hours Cheryl is done crying and getting sleepy, her head lolling to the side.

Fangs offers his bed, and for once in her life Toni doesn't insist on taking the sofa.

Surprisingly, she manages to pick up Cheryl and carry her all the way down to the large mattress at the far back of the trailer. (She's probably lost weight at the Sisters'. It worries her.). Fangs brings them a second blanket and drapes it over them, so Toni won't have to let Cheryl out of her embrace.

“Thank you,” she says.

“Yeah, no problem,” he reassures. “G'night.”

“Night,” Toni echoes.

There's a frown on Cheryl's face, even as her eyes are closed. Toni can see it. She worries. The look on her friend's face tells her, he does, too.

* * *

 

When Cheryl wakes up for the umpteenth time on Wednesday morning she smells something oddly familiar. Toast. Her stomach rumbles involuntarily. Next to her, someone chuckles. She whirls around.

Toni's eyes meet hers. “Hey,” she greets softly.

Cheryl blinks. It wasn't a dream. The tears well up again.

Toni leans forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips. She doesn't say anything, yet Cheryl knows exactly what she means.

“Do you care for some breakfast?”

Cheryl nods, and lets herself be pulled up along with her... well, _girlfriend_. That's probably what they are now. (It doesn't matter. The label. They'll figure it out. What matters is that she's safe, and loved.)

Fangs turns around when they enter the kitchen, hands clasped.

“Good morning,” he says. He's wearing a fucking children's apron of all things, and normally Cheryl would have at least five snarky remarks about his outfit of choice. Not today, though. Today she's just grateful for the unexpected hospitality she's been offered without a question.

“I hope toast will do. I didn't really expect company and my mom's been chewing my ear off all week, because I've been stealing her eggs...” He trails off. There are dark circles under his eyes. A pang of guilt hits Cheryl's chest. Of course, not only Toni would hear her screams.

“Toast is perfect, thank you,” she says. It's the most she's spoken since leaving her own personal conversion hell.

Toni squeezes her hand, proud.

They sit down on the sofa and Fangs takes the chair, just like they did earlier.

It's oddly familiar.

**Author's Note:**

> I think Toni is pretty much canonically homeless...? Like, she crashes with whoever's available? Her wardrobe is impressive given the circumstances lol.  
> PUSH means Pray Until Something Happens and is apparently a used acronym in religious context?! Who would have thought!
> 
> Also: is my use of though correct or wrong? As a non-native speaker I'm very concerned about my native language showing :D


End file.
